Customer Story: Where the Living and the Dead Collide at Luxor

Allison Carter, an Atlas Travel® Insurance customer, recently fulfilled a long-time desire to visit Egypt. She shared with us this blog post, the seventh in a series, detailing her experience taking a hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings.

From Allison,

Egypt is not a place for late risers. Because the heat becomes so intense by about 1:00 p.m., most days started no later than 7 a.m.; however, some days started much earlier. We rose one morning at 3 a.m. Normally, neither love nor money could get me out of bed at that hour, but this was different. This was a balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings.

The sun was just clearing the horizon when the balloon rose into the sky. If you have never ridden in a hot air balloon, it is wonderful. Even my mom, with a lifelong fear of heights, had no problems with the experience. The ride is smooth, though the scorching heat of the flame on your back can get uncomfortable at times. The view more than made up for any discomfort.

We floated like soap bubbles over the rugged, remote Valley of the Kings, where tombs lie hidden in rocks like snake holes, funerary temples dot the hillsides, and statues like the famous Colossi of Memnon still tower overhead.

Equally as interesting were the scenes of modern life. We flew over fields of sugar cane and corn, watched as farmers put their goats and donkeys out to pasture, and woke families slumbering on their roofs to escape the heat. When our balloon landed – a jolting experience – we found ourselves in the middle of a farmer’s field. Whoops! Luckily, they were very understanding and we levitated over to a nearby fallow field to continue our exploration of the Valley of the Kings up close and personal.

About Atlas Travel Insurance:
Atlas Travel Insurance is a short-term health insurance plan for international travelers. The plan offers coverage options of up to 1 million dollars and can be purchased online in as little as ten minutes. For more information on international medical insurance, visit our travel medical insurance webpage.